Friday, 15 November 2013

City of Rats Part I: Dunwall

Thousand Cities Era

On the site that the present day city of Dunwall occupies, south-west of the Windwater Lakes, there was once an earlier city whose name is now lost to the sands of time. Like Berck it hosted the Tordoran Armada, though probably because of this it was put to the torch by the Orgoth invaders shortly after the Battle of a Thousand Sails and the scorched ruins were turned into a port fortress by the Orgoth to consolidate their hold on the region.

The Rebellion Era

By the time of the Rebellion a slave town had grown up around the Orgoth fort, though it wasn't regarded as an important site for either side until later on when the Orgoth were being driven back into the sea. Though like many settlements it was subjected to the Scourge, though the Rebels manage to seize the city before the Orgoth had the chance to destroy every last stone.

The Corvis Treaties

203 AR saw the creation of Ord and also the founding of what became the city of Dunwall, much like the Orgoth had done before them the Ordic people rebuilt the ruins into a port fortress to guard against the return of the invaders from across the Meredius. The old Orgoth central keep was demolished and its foundations used for a new central fort that became Dunwall Tower, whilst the old tunnels below the city were eventually adapted into a sewer system.

The Colossal War

During the first attacks of the Colossal War in 250 AR Dunwall quickly found itself under siege by Khadoran forces, eventually falling after two months and not liberated by joint Ordic-Cygnaran forces until six years later. However Dunwall had been ruined by the war and fell into a period of decline and became overshadowed by Berck as a major port for trade.

The Border Wars

War would return by the century's end with the First Expansion War fought by Khador, though Dunwall suffered less with only raids and bombardments by the Khadoran Navy. Though when the port of Radhavo fell, Dunwall suddenly found itself in serious danger. Though the Khadorans were halted outside nearby Corbhen and forced to fall back. Later in the war the Ordic Royal Navy used Dunwall as a base to launch raids against its Khadoran counterpart and Kingsparrow Island at the mouth of the Wrenhaven River was fortified and turned into a bastion to help defend the city against further attacks.

The Quiet Century

Dunwall slowly recovered from the damage it had suffered during the wars over the previous few decades, gradually it became a fishing and later whaling port as its fortunes increased. Though it did see violence return to its streets during the War of the Castellans that lasted from 421-425 AR, House Kaldwin would gain governance over the city by the time the conflict ended.

Second Expansion War

By the mid 460s war reared its ugly head once more, Dunwall was quickly captured following a large naval battle which allowed the Khadorans to land an invasion force to take the port city and then seize Corbhen. The Khadorans then pressed on to take Berck but were halted and then eventually forced back, both Dunwall and Corbhen were liberated in 468 AR.

The Modern Era

It was during the first couple of decades of the 500s that the potential ofwhale oil, once refined, as an energy source was first realised. It would take until the later part of the century when the alchemical process was made viable and refined, the first few pieces of specially adapted Mechanika powered by this new energy source followed soon afterwards. By 600 AR Dunwall's whaling had turned into a major industry and improved the city's economic standing.